ARS | Publication request: Asca nelsoni sp. nov. (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ascidae), a new mite species from coffee leaf domatia in Costa Rica

Submitted to: Systematic & Applied Acarology Special Publications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: November 18, 2010
Publication Date: March 15, 2011
Citation: Beard, J., Ochoa, R., Vega, F.E. 2011. Asca nelsoni sp. nov. (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ascidae), a new mite species from coffee leaf domatia in Costa Rica. Systematic & Applied Acarology Special Publications. 16:7-20.

Interpretive Summary: Coffee is a very important export commodity, with an estimated annual retail sales value of approximately US $70 billion. Even though an enormous amount of scientific literature on coffee has been published, relatively little is known about mites occurring inside natural cavities, called domatia, that occur on the leaves of coffee. A new mite species in the genus Asca was found to be carrying fungal spores on its cuticle. This paper presents the scientific description of this new mite species as Asca nelsoni. This information will be of use to coffee scientists, acarologists, entomologists, and ecologists.

Technical Abstract: A new species of Asca (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ascidae) is described from Costa Rica, from within domatia on leaves of coffee plants, Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae).